Confectionery packing table



Dec. 16, 1952 A. FRlEDMAN CONFECTIONERY PACKING TABLE Filed Nov. 21, 1946 4 INVENT OR 32 Aaron flzedmarz ATT NEY Patented Dec. 16, 1952 CONFECTIONERY PACKING TABLE Aaron Friedman, New York, N. Y., assignor to Joe Lowe Corporation, New York, N. Y., a corporation of Delaware Application November 21, 1946, Serial No. 711,363

4 Claims.

The present invention relates to apparatus for packaging frozen stick confections and similar products, and it has particular relation to a packaging table designed to facilitate the bagging and boxing of handle stick confections in a most convenient and sanitary manner.

At the present time such confectionery products, which are sold daily by the millions, are bagged in the larger plants with an expensive packaging machine and then manually placed in cartons upon removal from a conveyor, and, in the smallor plants where production does not permit automatism, the confections are released from their respective stickholders onto a table or conveyor from which the packers manually pick up the confections, by their handle sticks if convenient but otherwise if necessary, and place them in bags and then pack them in boxes. Obviously, such bagging and packaging is one of the most inefiicient, insanitary and laborious operations in making frozen confections.

Many of the objectionable aforementioned practices can be obviated with the present inven tion, which not only greatly increases production per packer, but also assures sanitary handling and packaging of the confections.

One object of the present invention is the provision of a simple, efficient and durable packaging table capable of positioning a plurality of packers in a convenient and orderly arrangement.

Another object of the invention is to provide an inexpensive and sanitary packaging table suitable for use in either a large or small plant in connection with a continuous or other type of frozen confection operation or process.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a simple, efiicient and inexpensive packaging table adapted to receive a plurality of packers either along only one side or opposite sides thereof depending upon the space available in the operating plant.

Other and further objects and advantages of the invention reside in the detailed construction of the apparatus, which result in simplicity, econ- L omy and efficiency, and which will be apparent from the following description, wherein two forms of embodiment of the invention are shown, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof, in which like numerals indicate like parts.

Figure l is a fragmentary perspective view of a packaging table constructed in accordance with the principles of the invention, showing one packing station, a stickholder with its depending confections supported on a trackway extending thereabove, and a receiving carriage loaded with confections in its convenient packaging position;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary top plan view, on a slightly reduced scale, of a packaging table similar to that shown in Figure 1, illustrating the arrangement of a plurality of packing stations along only one side of said table; and

Figure 3 is a fragmentary top plan view, on the same scale as Figure 2, of a modified form of packaging table wherein the plurality of packing stations. are arranged along opposite sides of the table.

Referring now to the drawings, and particularly to Figure 1 thereof, there is shown a table supporting surface If) adapted to be mounted on any suitable supporting structure such as the legs of a conventional table or bench (not shown). The table supporting surface Ill is of substantial length as compared to its width dimensions. An overhead tra-ckwayll extends longitudinally of the table l0, and consists of two transversely spaced rails I3 and Hi. In the illustration shown, the ends of the rails 13 and M are bent downwardly, as indicated at It, to provide suitable integral supporting uprights ll. Obviously, any suitable means may be employed for supporting the trackway I I above the table ID, or it may be formed as a section of an overhead conveyor which serves to convey the stickholders I8 to the packaging operation from the defrosting or coating operations (not shown). The height of the trackway ll above the table [0 should be such that when the confections are released from their respective stickholders they should drop a minimum distance into the receiving carriage. It will be noted that the stickholder l8 shown supported by the trackway H has a plurality of depending confections l9 releasably secured therein by their respective handle sticks 2|.

A packaging station 22, which determines the position of the packer, who is not shown, is provided in the table l0, and consists of a sunken shelf or recess having dimensions suitable for receiving a conventional packaging box or carton 23.

A conventional bag blower 24 is shown mounted on the table It intermediate the trackway H and the recess 22. The bag blower 25 serves to hold and blow open the front bag of a column of stacked bags in a well known manner. It will be noted that the bag blower 24, which is illustrated with an open confection bag 2% therein ready to receive a confection, is in juxtaposition with the rear end of said recess 22.

Along one side of the recess 22 is mounted on top of the table It) a guideway 21 of rectangular shape for slidably receiving and guiding a rectangular confection receiving receptacle or car riage 28. In the illustration shown, the carriage 28 is subdivided transversely into a plurality of channels 29, which correspond in shape and spacing to the transverse rows of confections IQ of the stickholder l8. The guideway 21 is of substantially the width of the carriage 28, but considerably longer and extends from the front edge of the table ID to the opposite side of the trackway ll, permitting the carriage 28 to be pushed manually thereunder for receiving the confections I9 when they are released from the stickholder [8. The carriage 28 may be equipped with rollers, if desired, to facilitate its movement to and fro along the guideway 21, which is closed at opposite ends to provide stops for limiting the movement of the carriage therealong.

Referring now to Figure 2, the table In is provided with a plurality of packaging stations 22 disposed along only one side thereof. The trackway ll extends longitudinally thereof adjacent the opposite side of the table II).

The packaging table 30 shown in Figure 3 is similar to the packaging table II) shown in Figures 1 and 2 except that it has been provided with a longitudinally extending median trackway 3| and a plurality of longitudinally spaced packing stations 32 and 33 disposed along opposite sides thereof. It will be noted that the packaging stations 32 along one side of the table 30 are disposed alternately with respect of the stations 33 on the opposite side thereof, and that each of the stations 32 and 33 is provided with a conventional bag blower 24. Each of the stations 32 and '33 also has its own transversely extending guideway 21 and confection receiving carriage 28.

Exact dimensions for the table cannot be given sinc they will depend upon the space available in the plant in which the same is to be installed. 0bviously, the number of packaging stations will be controlled by the production of confections involved in the operation. The spacing of the rails I3 and M of the trackways II and 3| will be determined by the size and style of conventional stickholders to be employed. In actual practice it has been found that the table should preferably be as narrow as possible. The minimum width, of course, will be controlled by the width of the trackway, the size of the bag blower and the size of the recess, the latter being controlled by the size of the cartons used in packaging the confections. The size of the carriage or receiving box 28 is determined by the carrying capacity of the stickholder, and the spacing of the confections therein. Most conventional stickholders today hold twenty-four confections at a time in six rows of four confections each.

It will be obvious that the drawings merely illustrate diagrammatically the principles of the invention, and that the trackway need not be limited to the size of the table [0 or be attached thereto. It is well within the skill of a mechanic to tie-in the table In with a continuous conveyor operation whereby the conveyor substitutes for the present trackway. In such an arrangement the confection loaded stickholders would be received from one end of the table and the empty stickholders removed from the opposite end thereof.

In operation of the packaging apparatus shown in the drawings, the packers (not shown) sit or stand between the recess 22 and the guideway 4 21, as desired. The confection loaded stickholders are positioned on the trackways and moved therealong manually. When a loaded stickholder I8 is brought into position over an empty carriage 28, which is positioned thereunder when pushed to the back of its guideway 21, the confections l9 are released and fall by gravity into th carriage 28, the subdivisions of which keeps them in aligned rows as best shown in Figure l, with each of their respective handle sticks 2| projecting upwardly and outwardly therefrom. The packer removes the confections I9 from the carriage 28 by their handle sticks 2|, inserts them one at a time into the open bag 26 immediately under the bag blower 24 and deposits them into the packing carton 23 without releasing her hold on its handle stick. This series of steps or movements in the bagging and packaging operation is continuous, and the packer never leaves go of the confection handle stick 2| from the time she picks the confection or confections out of the carriage 28, until she packs it or them into the carton 23. After some experience, packers are able to handle four confections, or an entire row or contents of one subdivision of the carriage, at a time. Manifestly, the output of each packer is greatly increased and the operation of bagging and packaging confections is more sanitary since the confections l9 must be handled or manipulated through all of the steps by their respective handle sticks 2|, which is not the case where the confections I!) have been dropped or dumped in a helter-skelter manner on a packaging table.

Although I have described in detail only two modifications which the invention may assume, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the invention is not so limited, but that various modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit thereof or from the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

l. The combination with an overhead trackway by which a plurality of confection holders are carried into a packaging zone, a table supporting surface mounted below said trackway having a plurality of spaced carton receiving stations, a guideway extending adjacent each of said carton receiving stations and under said trackway, and a carriage mounted slidably on each of said guideways whereby it may be moved into confection receiving position under said trackway and to confection delivery position adjacent said carton receiving station.

2. The combination with an overhead trackway by which a plurality of confection holders are carried into a packaging zone, a table supporting surface of substantial length as compared to its width dimensions mounted below said trackway having a plurality of longitudinally spaced carton receiving stations, each of said stations being defined by a sunken carton receiving recess, a guideway extending transversely of said supporting surface adjacent one side of each of said recesses and under said trackway, and a carriage mounted slidably on each of said guide- Ways whereby it may be moved into confection receiving position under said trackway and to confection delivery position adjacent said carton receiving station.

3. The combination with an overhead trackway by which a plurality of confection holders are carried into a packaging zone, each of said holders having confections depending therefrom in spaced arrangement, a table supporting surface mounted below said trackway and having a plurality of longitudinally spaced and sunken carton receiving recesses mounted along one side thereof spaced from said trackway, a plurality of longitudinally spaced guideways extending transversely of said supporting surface, each of said guideways extending from underneath said trackway to adjacent one carton receiving recess, and a carriage mounted slidably on each of said guideways whereby it may be moved into confection receiving position under said trackway and to confection delivery position adjacent said carton receiving station, said carriage being subdivided into pockets having the spaced arrangement of the confections depending from said holders.

4. The combination with an overhead trackway by which a plurality of confection holders are carried into a packaging zone, a table supporting surface mounted below said trackway and extending laterally therebeyond on opposite sides thereof, a plurality of spaced sunken carton receiving recesses arranged in spaced relation along opposite sides of said supporting surface, a plurality of longitudinally spaced guideways extending transversely of said supporting surface, each guideway extending along one side of one carton receiving recess and under said trackway, and a carriage mounted movably on each of said guideways whereby it may be moved into confection receiving position under said trackway and to confection delivery position adjacent said carton receiving recesses.

AARON FRIEDMAN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

